News - Microsoft Windows 7 to ship without built-in e-mail functionality?

[HEXUS]

Microsoft's Brian Hall has confirmed that Windows 7 will be stripped of basic applications in favour of the far-superior Windows Live.

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[Funkstar]

Good.

Thats a few less things to patch when exploits are found, especially as I'd only be using Live Messenger out of that lot.

[kalniel]

Happy here as well. If they can also discount the total cost to make way for the Live One charge I'll be even happier.

[Funkstar]

If they can also discount the total cost to make way for the Live One charge I'll be even happier.

Microsoft Partner Action Pack licences FTW!

[Leucocyte]

Sounds good to me. Have to say in all the years I've had XP and Vista I've not loaded Movie Maker even once, and I stopped needing a Mail client a few years back too. In the end, I'd prefer to use the app that I choose rather than the one MS 'bundle'.

They could go further though. These are other apps that I wouldn't mind MS making free downloadable extras - some of which i do use and others I don't: Media Center, Media Player, Defender, CD Burning Wizard, DVD Maker, Fax and Scan, Contacts, Calendar, Paint.

[Betty_Swallocks]

Charge? Are we talking about something else? I got Windows live and it didn't cost me anything.

[Tweaker]

I think Microsoft thought it had to put these applications in Vista as other operating systems have them. However, OSX is much better and doing these apps so i can see why Microsoft would see no point in including an app which is not the equivilent of OSX or other free programs online. Also, i think Microsoft is buying into the idea of, install the OS, then let the user download which apps they want. While im sure they will offer MS apps first, it will probably mean 1 installer program and a lighter OS when first installed

[Saracen]

Hurray, and about time.

One thing about Windows that has wound me up for a long time is it's ever-increasing trend towards bloatware, with all sorts of sundry rubbish I certainly don't want not only bundled in, but not even deselectable as an install option. The sooner (and further) MS goes in removing all the dead weight, the happier I'll be.

[Funkstar]

Just leave Notepad and Calc, thats all I ask

[TheAnimus]

I think this is getting silly now.

Apps like WordPad for instance where actually examples of how to use the 'RichTextBox' in MFC, rather than an App.

One of the reasons MS is such a widely used OS is because it had fantasticly easy to program with controls that gave out of the box, will work on EVERY win install, no other libs needed functionality.

But the more they erode features, the less they have re-used GUI bits, providing a common interface will actually erode their user base more and more. Web Apps aren't the answer.

[kalniel]

Charge? Are we talking about something else? I got Windows live and it didn't cost me anything.

I was talking about Windows Live Onecare, but hopefully this will just be in Windows Live, which will hopefully remain free.

[jimbouk]

I heart Windows Movie Maker

[cordas]

Hurray, and about time.

One thing about Windows that has wound me up for a long time is it's ever-increasing trend towards bloatware, with all sorts of sundry rubbish I certainly don't want not only bundled in, but not even deselectable as an install option. The sooner (and further) MS goes in removing all the dead weight, the happier I'll be.

I agree, the more MS strip down W7 the better in my book... Give me the bare bones OS with a few basic tools such as Notepad, Calculator and a couple of simple games (many an idle hour has been wasted playing hearts, minesweeper and the rest by millions of people). The next question is explorer and IE.... obviously W7 will need some form of exploroer like tool, but how encroaching will it be, will it basicaly be IEx or will it be some super slimmed down tool.... I know which I would prefer, and it will probably involve installing whatever the current version of IE is.

[Funkstar]

I don't mind having a web browser installed in the OS, after all, it kind of makes sence to have sich a rich content rendering engine available to the OS.

I'd be installing Opera on it anyway

[dangel]

Yeah, I need IE to download Opera too

All my email is web-based - I only use outlook for archiving it.

[shaithis]

Would be nice if the installer gave you the choice, defaulting to nothing but the base OS and leaving you to check all the boxes of the apps you want.

IIRC, that's how it was back in the 3.1 era.....